


The Main Attraction, Distraction

by Lurlur



Category: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anesthesia, Established Relationship, Hospitals, Idiots in Love, M/M, Memory Loss, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29350371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurlur/pseuds/Lurlur
Summary: Esca promised that he'd be there when Marcus woke up from his surgery. The problem is that Marcus keeps waking up with no memory of Esca or of the previous times he's woken up.
Relationships: Marcus Flavius Aquila/Esca Mac Cunoval
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	The Main Attraction, Distraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dwarrowkings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowkings/gifts).



> I love The Eagle now. Sorry, not sorry.
> 
> Dwarrowkings said some stuff and then I had ideas and she had ideas and then we both wrote those ideas. Hers is funnier and generally better so, yeah, go check that out!

It seemed as though Marcus woke suddenly, consciousness springing upon him like a door slamming open. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up at once, looking around in a mild panic. The strange, clinical surroundings seemed right, in line with what Marcus had expected. The surgery, right. He was in the hospital, recovering from surgery.

A solid hand spread over his chest and eased him back down into the bed just as a face came into view above him.

"Lie back, relax," said the man, and Marcus felt compelled to comply.

"Did I shame myself?" Marcus asked a little desperately.

The man shook his head and smiled, relaxing Marcus further. He was pretty, Marcus thought, handsome even. Maybe the most attractive man that Marcus had ever seen.

"That's sweet of you to say," said the man and Marcus felt his stomach drop, realising he'd spoken his thoughts aloud.

"Are you my nurse?" he asked.

The man shook his head, still wearing his pleased little smile.

"It's good of you to sit with me, then," Marcus said, "What's your name?"

The man laughed, not unkindly.

"Esca."

A good name, Marcus decided before drifting off to sleep again. From the look on Esca's face, Marcus feared that he may have spoken his thoughts once again.

A noise woke Marcus, jolting him into sudden alertness. He looked up, rising to one elbow only to wince at the pain that shot up from his thigh.

The most beautiful man that Marcus had ever seen stood beside him and helped ease him back onto the bed. The light was bright around them, reminding Marcus of where he was, the hospital bed and his throbbing leg. He’d just had surgery.

“It’s OK,” said the man, soothingly, “do you need anything?”

Marcus thought about the question for a moment, trying not to stare too hard at the gorgeous man beside him.

“Anything at all?” the man prompted, making Marcus realise that, perhaps, he had taken longer to consider the question than he had thought.

“Did I shame myself?” he asked, his throat tight.

“No,” said the beautiful man, laughing lightly. Marcus tried to feel offended but couldn’t seem to muster the necessary outrage. “You were very brave.”

Happy enough with this, Marcus let himself relax back into the bed.

“I’m Marcus,” he said, introducing himself.

“I know,” said the man, still looking amused.

“You’re beautiful. Are all the nurses as beautiful as you?” Marcus asked, surprising himself.

The man laughed again, tipping his head back until Marcus could see the delicate lines of his throat.

“You’re a terrible flirt, and I’m not a nurse. I’m Esca.” He offered Marcus a cup with a straw, not letting go when Marcus took hold of it. “Just take some sips, OK?”

After managing a few sips, Marcus let his head fall back to the pillow.

“Esca.”

“Yes?” Esca looked up from where he was putting the water cup back on the table.

Marcus frowned, confused by the question until he realised that he’d spoken out loud again.

“I was just testing your name, I like it.”

Esca hummed and sat back in the chair beside Marcus’ bed, crossing one leg over the other.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Marcus considered it, a proper report was probably required for his notes, although his mind was sluggish and his memory seemed unreliable.

“Fuzzy. Very fuzzy,” he said, “a bit sore in my leg but that feels far away. Are you single?” He hadn’t meant to say the last part but, well, he did want to know. He was feeling drowsy again and losing control of his mouth.

Esca snorted and Marcus felt his hope fade.

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh,” Marcus said, trying not to sound horribly disappointed, “she’s very lucky.”

The sound of Esca’s soft laughter lulled Marcus back into a deep sleep.

“If you need a break, one of us can sit with him for a bit.” Marcus could hear the voice of a woman as he woke slowly.

“No, it’s alright, I’ll stay. Thanks, though.” That was a man’s voice and it made Marcus feel warm and safe. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting against the harsh overhead lighting.

His mouth was dry and he smacked his lips to try and clear the thick feeling from his tongue. There was a devastatingly handsome man sitting beside his bed, looking at him with concern.

“Hello, sleepyhead!” A woman in a nurse’s uniform approached and fussed at him in a businesslike manner.

“I can’t feel my leg,” Marcus said, trying not to panic.

“I imagine not!” said the nurse, “Esca here said that you were still feeling some discomfort so we increased your pain relief. The surgeon will be along to speak with you when you’re a bit more awake, but she did say that your surgery went very well.”

Marcus relaxed without having been aware of his tension. Waking up after surgery was a scary time, he could surely be forgiven a bit of fear.

“Esca?” he asked after a moment, confused.

The man stood up from his position beside the bed, taking a half step forward.

“Yes?”

“Oh, you’re beautiful,” Marcus said, his voice cracking.

Esca picked up a cup of water and held the straw for Marcus to sip through.

“That’s very sweet of you to say,” he said, “Just take little sips, Marcus. Do you want something to eat?”

Once his mouth and throat felt soothed, Marcus considered the question.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” He had been aiming for cheeky but seemed to land closer to painfully hopeful.

Esca laughed and put the cup back on the table.

“I don’t think my husband would like that much.”

With a groan, Marcus let his head fall back into the pillow.

“It’s not fair that you’re gorgeous and gay if you’re already married. I’m just going to have to steal you from your husband, I’ll win you over.” 

The nurse looked like she was about to cry from holding in her laughter. Marcus felt annoyance flash through him at the insult.

“What? You think I’m not good enough for Esca? He may be totally out of my league but I’ve got lots of good points too!”

A warm hand settled on Marcus’ forearm, calming him instantly.

“Stand down, soldier,” said Esca, his eyes dancing with mirth, “it’s not a good idea to start fights with your nurses.”

Marcus had already forgotten the problem because Esca was touching him and it was as wonderful as he could have hoped.

The nurse finished making her notes and popped the clipboard back in the slot at the foot of Marcus’ bed.

“I’ll be back to check on you in a bit, alright?” she said to Esca who nodded. She gave Marcus a stern look. “Behave yourself, Mister, or I’ll have to send Esca away.”

All the horror that Marcus felt at that suggestion must have been visible on his face because both the nurse and Esca laughed as she left the room.

“I don’t want her to send you away, Esca. You won’t go, will you?” Marcus knew that he wanted as much of Esca’s attention as he could get.

“On my honour, Marcus, I will not abandon you.” The words were serious but the tone was mocking and light. It sounded right, though, as if all of Esca’s vows were like this.

“Good.” Esca’s hand was still on his arm, stroking lightly. Maybe there wasn’t a husband, after all, Marcus thought. “Did I shame myself?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

“Not at all,” said Esca with a reassuring pat, “you were very brave.”

Relieved, Marcus let his fingers rest over Esca’s hand.

“Good, I’m glad.” He thought for a moment. “Can I have some toast? With honey?”

Esca nodded and began to move away from the bed, drawing his hand away.

“I’ll go fetch you some now.”

Marcus watched him leave, admiring him until he was completely out of sight.

“Marcus?” 

He was being shaken awake but sleeping seemed like a far better option. He grumbled and tried to roll away from the voice.

“No, no, no, you idiot. Don’t roll over.” Firm hands pinned him to the bed and forced him to wake up. “I brought you your bloody toast and you’ll rip your stitches or something.”

That made some kind of sense, so Marcus stopped fighting and allowed himself to be pressed back.

“Esca?” he asked, looking up and seeing the concerned face above him.

“Oh, are you going to remember me this time?” Esca asked with a laugh.

“Beautiful Esca, what are you talking about?” Marcus strained upwards to steal a kiss.

“Shut up and eat your toast, Marcus,” Esca scolded gently. He wheeled the table over and helped Marcus sit up a little. 

There were a couple of little honey packets next to a plate of toast and Marcus wondered how Esca had known that was what he’d been craving. Then, he wondered a few other things.

“Did I-”

“No,” Esca huffed, “you didn’t shame yourself, whatever that means. You were a very brave boy and the nice surgeon will give you a sticker to prove it. Yes, I’m very attractive. No, I’m not single. And you’re lucky I’ve been so worried about you because otherwise, I’d have throttled you after the second time you woke up!”

Marcus shut his mouth with a click. That was a lot to process all at once.

“You’re not single?” he asked eventually, trying not to sound as devastated as he felt.

“Eat your toast, Marcus.”

Obediently, Marcus began spreading honey on his toast without making too much of a mess. With frequent prompting from Esca, he managed to get halfway through the second slice before things started to come back to him.

“You have a husband,” he said, sullenly.

Esca sighed and rolled his eyes in a display of sheer exasperation.

“I’m married to you, stupid.”

Marcus swallowed the lump of bread in his mouth before it could choke him.

“Really? Wow! I’m so lucky!” He grinned a sticky smile. “Do you love me?”

Esca leaned in to kiss Marcus on the forehead.

“It seems that I do, even if you can’t remember me right now.”

A nurse came in with a fresh jug of water and went to switch out the one by Esca.

“Finally eating something, are we?” she said, nodding at the plate in front of Marcus. Esca hummed affirmatively with a wry smile.

“Esca says that we’re married,” Marcus said, unable to contain his happiness, “we’re in love!”

“That’s nice, aren’t you lucky to have him looking after you?” Marcus nodded at her, so pleased with himself. She turned to Esca and lowered her voice a little. “Don’t worry, this is fairly normal. He most likely won’t remember this part, but he will be less ditzy before long.”

Marcus screwed up his nose at being called ditzy but Esca looked relieved like he’d been struggling with a heavy load that he was finally able to put down.

“Thank you,” he said, glancing at Marcus, “I was starting to wonder.”

His toast forgotten, Marcus looked up at the ceiling and tried to remember Esca before he’d woken up in the hospital. He just didn’t remember anything at all. Soon, he forgot what he was trying to remember.

“Mr Aquila? Are you awake?”

Marcus made an undignified snorting, snuffly noise and shook himself into wakefulness. The surgeon was standing at the foot of his bed, flanked by junior doctors.

“Mm, yes, hello.” Marcus tried to push himself up the bed and winced as his leg throbbed with pain.

“Don’t try to move too much,” said the surgeon, “The operation was a great success but the healing process has only just begun. I’ve given your husband some information about what to expect and set up an appointment with the physio team for tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, you really must rest.”

Marcus nodded, trying not to think about the battle for recovery that he still faced.

“Where’s Esca?” he asked, glancing around the room.

The surgeon shrugged.

“I saw him a few hours ago when you were still unconscious. I’ll see if any of the nurses know.”

Nodding, Marcus tried to fight down his gnawing disappointment. Esca had promised to be there when Marcus woke up and although he didn’t  _ need _ Esca to be there, he had felt better with the knowledge that he wouldn’t be alone. 

The surgeon and her entourage left after that, leaving Marcus alone with his thoughts. His leg didn’t seem to hurt, but he wasn’t sure he could feel much of anything else either. He wasn’t even hungry despite having not eaten for something like 16 hours. His mouth tasted sweet and he felt the need to brush his teeth.

In the hallway, the sound of hurried footsteps grew louder as they approached. Marcus watched his door to see who would rush past, the only source of entertainment available to him. From the weight and speed of the steps, he guessed it might be a nurse rushing to a patient call.

Instead, Esca threw himself through the door, barely slowing enough to avoid a collision.

“I’m so sorry!” he gasped, crossing the room in a couple of strides, “I only stepped out to call your uncle, I’m here now. I’m here.”

Marcus grinned, relieved and delighted by the sight of his husband. He lifted a hand to grasp Esca’s fingers and give a reassuring squeeze.

“You’re here, I missed you.”

Esca grimaced, looking ashamed of himself. 

“Sorry,” he said again, “of course I manage to miss the first time you wake up lucid enough to know me.” Confused, Marcus frowned but Esca patted his hand and kissed his cheek, soothing away any worries. “The nurses said that the surgeon has been in to speak to you? How are you feeling?”

“Yeah,” Marcus nodded, “I feel alright. A bit tired, but no pain or discomfort. I’m actually really excited to get started with the physiotherapy. Esca, I’m so ready to walk again.”

That earnt him another kiss and a wide smile.

Once Esca was satisfied that Marcus didn’t need anything, he sat and they chatted for a while, talking about all the things they’d be able to do together once Marcus was back on his feet. The fears from before the surgery had shrunk down to a much more manageable size. 

Eventually, a nurse stuck her head in to remind them that visiting hours had ended. Reluctantly, Esca bid goodbye to Marcus and kissed him soundly before leaving with a promise to be back as soon as he was able. They didn’t often spend the nights apart and it was a difficult separation though a necessary one.

Soon after Esca had left, the nurse came back to check on Marcus and settle him for the night.

“You’re a lucky one, you know,” she said as she adjusted the bed for him, “Your Esca was glued to your side for hours. He kept saying that it didn’t matter how many times you woke up if you didn’t recognise him, he’d be here for the one that counted.”

“What do you mean?” Marcus asked, confused.

“Oh, you woke up a few times today. All dopey from the anaesthesia, you didn’t know where you were. You kept trying to hit on Esca and find out if he was single!”

“Oh no, please tell me I didn’t?” Marcus felt embarrassment crawl up his spine.

“Afraid so! It’s been very funny.”

Marcus wanted to shrink in on himself and disappear. How could he have forgotten Esca? What must Esca have thought, dealing with a Marcus who didn’t know him? But he’d been there all day, waiting and hoping. Marcus reached for his phone on the table beside him and wrote a message to his husband.

_ [21:59]  
_ _ I love you, Esca. Thank you for everything  
_ _ today. I’m glad you aren’t single. _

_ [22:01]  
_ _ I swear that if you ask me if  
you  _ _ shamed yourself again,  
I’m filing  _ _ for divorce. _

_ [22:02]  
_ _ I love you too  
_ __ See you in the morning x  


Marcus went to sleep with a smile on his face and Esca in his thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> Rumours of my demise may have been exaggerated.
> 
> (Mental illness, yo, it's a bitch)


End file.
